Mothers Will
by wubbzy
Summary: After finally getting out of the genjutsu world, Naruto asked Sakura out on a date again. Sakura was about to reject, when someone surprisingly stepped in. Scene that should have happened after the Road to Ninja movie. NaruSaku. Happy Mother's Day!


**Summary:** After finally getting out of the genjutsu world, Naruto asked Sakura out on a date again. Sakura was about to reject, when someone surprisingly stepped in. Scene that should have happened after Naruto: Road to Ninja. Happy Mother's Day!

 _AN:_ Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Just a quick little Naruto Sakura story for Mother's day. Dedicated to my mom (even though she probably won't read this either). I hope everyone likes this! :) Sorry again, this is unedited as well! X_X Still hope you enjoy!

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 **Mothers Will  
** 14 May 2017

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"Sakura-chan, how about that date?" Naruto asked, not wanting to be alone again. The effects of losing the only parents he had was still on his mind, their memory ingrained in his brain. He could still feel his mother's soft touch as she hugged him, making sure he was alright. He could still see the gleam in her beautiful red hair, or the big grin she would give whenever he walked through the door. But he knew that wasn't really her, he knew the sacrifice his real parents made for the village and him.

But it was nice, not being alone. It was nice, having a real family for once. One that gave him the unconditional love he yearned for.

He couldn't deny that, so he asked Sakura out, hoping she would be willing, hoping he could talk to her about his frustrations.

His smile rose to something gentle, when he saw Sakura hug both her parents with a need and desperation he saw within himself. It just then occurred to him that she probably was feeling similarly to how he usually felt in that genjutsu world, without parents. At least now, maybe he could talk to her about it, maybe she would understand the loneliness that comes with losing parents. The only other person he remembered being able to share that understanding with, just by looking at them, was Sasuke. But maybe it would be nice to actually talk about it with someone - with Sakura.

It certainly seemed like she would never take her parents for granted again.

So he smiled, knowing that - knowing that she must understand how lucky she was to have parents who care for her, who love her and are still there to love her everyday.

Sakura, through her tears, tried her best to recompose herself. She got so emotional after seeing her parents, knowing that if they were stuck in that genjutsu, she might have never seen them again. She wiped her tears, giving her parents an embarrassed smile before she turned to Naruto with a look of frustration.

"Date? But we had a really long date already!" Sakura explained. Naruto looked confused, his eyebrows quirking. He nearly fell in his shock.

"T-that was… a date?" he questioned, completely taken by surprised. Sakura's parents chuckled, enjoying their interaction.

"Neh, Sakura-chan, why don't you invite Naruto-kun for dinner?" her mother, Mebuki asked, glancing over to Naruto and giving him a gentle smile. Her father Kizashi just laughed, placing his hands over Sakura's shoulder. Sakura stared back at her parents, completely shocked by their suggestion.

"B-but-" she stammered, not sure what to say.

"Hey, there's no trouble at all! If you two haven't eaten anything, we have dinner waiting. Enough for everyone," Mebuki suggested. Her father grinned a hearty grin, laughing and making Sakura feel even more embarrassed and bewildered than before. She pouted, hoping no one would judge her for her dad's lame jokes.

Sakura was genuinely confused by this, looking from her parents to Naruto, absolutely astounded.

"Um, sure, if you don't mind, Sakura-chan," Naruto agreed, trying to be considerate to her feelings. Sakura glanced at her parent's happy expression once more before sighing, finally relenting.

"Sure… J-just… don't say anything embarrassing, Naruto! You too, dad!"

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"Thanks so much for the meal, Haruno-san," Naruto said, trying his best to be as respectable as he can. Sakura winced, before she grew annoyed.

"Naruto, refer to my parents as-" Sakura was about to say, before Mebuki cut in.

"Please, just call me Mebuki," she said, making Sakura's eyes widen, wondering what was going on here. Sakura grumbled a bit, wondering why they were being nicer to Naruto than their own daughter. It was so weird, seeing them so patient and so interested in Naruto all of a sudden.

She had no idea what was going on anymore.

"So I hear from my daughter that you've been training really hard, have you," Kizashi started.

Oh no…

Sakura closed her eyes, slumping into the chair.

"Sakura-chan, don't slouch now in front of guest. Sit up straight, will you?" her mother nagged. Sakura winced, before she sighed, nodding and sitting up straight. She was annoyed, but her newfound knowledge of the feeling of loneliness made her remember that she was lucky to have them at all to nag her.

Naruto continued to answer. "Yeah, I've been training really hard! Sakura-chan too! She's become really strong! You should see her on missions, she's incredible," Naruto complimented, looking over at Sakura excitedly. Her parents laughed.

"Yeah, our Sakura-chan can be so reckless," her mother said, shaking her head. Sakura stared, cheeks red and baffled by her mother's words. Naruto tilted his head. "We get worried about her when she's away on missions. She is so stubborn. Please, take care of her like how you've been doing."

"Mom!" Sakura butted in, completely embarrassed now, her cheeks flaring red, as hot as steam. "Okay, well I'm done with dinner, thank you. Are you finished already, Naruto?" Sakura asked, trying to get out of this conversation by any means necessary. Naruto looked at her dumbly, not sure what to say because clearly, he wasn't finished with his meal. She could already feel her heartbeat jumping out her chest. Naruto looked at her oddly, not sure why she was acting so strange. Kizashi just chuckled, before patting Naruto's back.

"Nonsense. I still haven't asked Naruto what I wanted to. Say, you think you could help me with something? I've been meaning to fix some stuff around the house, but needed an extra pair of hands," Kizashi asked. Naruto smiled nodding.

"Yeah, sure thing!" he agreed.

 _Unbelievable…_ Sakura couldn't help but think.

"W-well… I'll… I'll just be upstairs, getting ready for bed then!" Sakura said, before storming upstairs to her room, having no idea what was going on anymore.

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Sakura decided to take a bath, enjoying the hot water, feeling loads better afterwards. Especially after that long journey. Her muscles relaxed and loosened. She was content, feeling refreshed and revitalized.

After her bath, she tied the knot to her white robe before putting on indoor slippers and going downstairs to say goodnight to her parents.

Sakura came down the steps, only to notice light snores coming from the living room. She raised an eyebrow before heading over, and finding Naruto on the couch, fast asleep.

She literally gawked at the scene, wondering what he was still doing in her house. She even took a step back, both arms at her robes and covering her torso at the sheer embarrassment. It wasn't for a few seconds, that she recomposed herself and grew angry that he had the audacity to just fall asleep on their couch like that, especially after her parents were so nice. She found it rude. She was about to bonk him on the head to wake him up, knowing he shouldn't be here. She was about to do so when she felt a soft hand on her shoulder. She halted, turning to see her mother. Sakura gasped, her mouth gaping. Mebuki just smiled knowingly.

"It's fine, Sakura-chan. It's not a big deal. Naruto-kun and your father went around the house, fixing everything, so he must be tired," Mebuki giggled, looking over to the sleeping boy. It was then Sakura noticed the folded blanket in Mebuki's hand, clearly to cover Naruto. Sakura looked down to her soft slippers, before staring up at her mother, upset.

"Why are you doing this? Is it to embarrass me because I left for a long time? Because that-" Sakura began to explain, but Mebuki shook her head, soon bringing Sakura into a warm embrace. Sakura's eyes widened at this, not understanding at all. When Mebuki pulled away, Sakura saw the deep frown, and could feel the disappointment coming from her mother. Sakura's lips curled down to a frown, dejected too, not entirely sure why her mother was the one so upset.

"Sakura… I thought I raised you better than that," Mebuki reprimanded before going by the couch, and laying the blanket over Naruto's sleeping form. Sakura raised an eyebrow suspiciously, baffled.

"What are you talking about?"

"All night you've been so rude to our guest!"

"But, it's just Naruto, he's my teammate," Sakura tried to defend. Because that's just how they were. That is what they do. She teases him and keeps him in line.

"During dinner you two told us about that genjutsu you were in. After that, I just thought you would understand. Naruto-kun had a hard life without his parents. You didn't even look hard enough to see it in his eyes when he was talking about his parents during dinner. He was laughing and smiling but his eyes looked so sad, poor thing. He's been alone all his life. I'm sure it's nice to be somewhere that's a little more homey," Mebuki explained.

"B-but… I don't get it… why now? Why are you being like this now? Why not when he was a child?" Sakura asked, looking down, frustrated. She may not have seen it now - the somber in his eyes, but she remembered seeing Naruto as a child, when she noticed him openly crying, and her mother just ignored it like everyone else, pushing her along too. She wondered what made things different now. Why were her parents being nice to him all of a sudden?

Her mother held a look of regret.

"I never paid attention. I only did when he became your teammate, and we could all see how much of a hero he became," Mebuki explained. Sakura frowned, wondering if that's the only reason, if only now were they starting to see him for who he truly is, when they should have all along. Mebuki gave a soft sigh in relief, before she spoke her next words. "Plus, we owe Naruto-kun a lot. From what you told us, he's one of the reasons you're still here with us. And one of the reasons for your smile. I remember when that cute ole' Uchiha boy left, you were heartbroken. It didn't help when Naruto-kun left to go train. But when he came back, your smile did too." Sakura paused for a moment, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed at her mother's words. Her mother giggled.

"Don't think I don't know. You're my daughter, of course I would know. Kizashi and I just wanted to show our gratitude for everything he's done. You should be nicer to him too." Sakura frowned, before looking at Naruto, still snoring, still sleeping and seeming at peace. He had a satisfied smile, hugging a pillow, before burying his face in it.

Sakura couldn't help but smile herself, that same tender smile she always gave Naruto. She wondered what she was so scared about, having him over and getting to know her family more.

For once she realized her mother was right.

She gave a small snort, knowing mothers will have a weird way of helping their children, seeming to make everything better - like they're able to shine speckles of clarity in her eyes, so she can see what's really there.

Flashes of nights alone appeared in her mind. She remembered that lonely feeling that arose in the genjutsu world, the one she felt when she was without her parents. She remembered going to see Naruto, and feeling like she didn't belong in their world with Naruto and his parents. She felt that and knew she didn't want to ruin his happiness; she saw his true smile when he was with the people who loved him more than anything. It must have hurt so much, when he had to leave them, knowing going back to the real world meant spending more nights alone. She remembered seeing his shaking body. He didn't face her, but she could tell he was crying, yet…

Things finally clicked, and a tear fell, her eyes somber and wondering why she was always so mean to him, or always tried to get him out of her business.

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Naruto's eyes fluttered open in the middle of the night. He yawned and stretched, feeling strangely better than he's ever felt before, even if he did sleep on a couch. He looked around, wondering why his place looked so different. He immediately sat up, looking at his surrounds. The blanket and pillow fell to the floor, and he nearly yelped when he saw Sakura on the sofa chair across from him.

"W...were you watching me?" Naruto questioned, a little freaked out and wondering if this was all a just a dream. No way this could be reality. "What are you doing in my apartment, Sakura-chan?" He scratched the back of his head, utterly perplexed. This was definitely new.

Sakura growled. Her right eyebrow twitched, her fist clenching and shaking, before she sighed, releasing her fist.

"Naruto," she started in a monotone way. "You're at _my_ house. You slept on my parent's couch."

"Oh." Naruto had a blank stare that made her snort. He looked like a lost puppy, not sure what he was supposed to do now. Sakura shook her head, before standing up.

"Naruto… my parents said that whenever you want to come and visit, even when I'm not here..." Sakura paused and scratched her head, feeling shy for saying that. "Whether it's to help my dad around the house or you're feeling alone or something… you can come here."

Naruto paused for a moment, trying to contemplate her words. He wondered if she meant that, before the biggest grin formed, incredibly giddy and appreciative.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan! I really appreciate that!"

"Hey, don't thank me! It's all my parents," Sakura tried to say, heat rising to her face as she crossed her arms and looked over to the hallway light still on. She tried to focus on anything but the feeling that came up when she saw Naruto so stupidly happy.

"Parents have a weird way of knowing, neh?" Naruto said, a deep smile as he thought of his own, knowing he would give anything to hear their voices or see their faces one more time. Sakura smiled, finally seeing the look her mother was talking about. She nodded, moving closer. She closed the distance between them, and sat down next to Naruto. Her hand moved to his shoulder, before she turned to him and looked him in the eye.

"Hey, Naruto? I'm sorry. I didn't understand before. I remember once… I even told Sasuke-kun about how you act the way you do because you don't have parents, but I was coming from a place of ignorance."

"Sasuke? Huh?"

"Yeah…I was so dumb back then, and I guess I've been dumb even recently. I took my parents for granted. Before, you were right, about not taking them for granted, and not saying stuff to them… about wishing I had different parents. It was stupid of me, and I'm sorry. Especially when you-" Sakura confessed, but Naruto cut her off before she could say anymore.

"It's okay, Sakura-chan. I'm glad you won't think that way from now on. You are lucky. You have such cool parents after all," Naruto complimented, a big grin forming just thinking how nice they've been to him.

"This time, my parents are the ones who helped me understand more. You're… you're always so happy it's sometimes hard to believe you would feel alone now or you would feel sad. But… well, I just didn't look enough to see it… and I'm sorry. I don't know how many times I can say it, but I mean it. I'm so sorry!"

Naruto looked at her, a deep blush rising at her words, before he smiled tenderly.

Sakura yelped when she felt arms around her this time, in awe by how bold he was being. But she was also grateful too. His hands wrapped around her, and she could feel the love and affection radiating from his body. She didn't realize it, but her arms moved on their own, wrapping around his torso too. She leaned her head against his, enjoying the warmth. It felt nice.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan."

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AN: As much as I loved RTN, the end of RTN kinda bothered me, because like, I know it was supposed to be funny, but like come on girl, you should include him in stuff more, you know? Like, not even for pairing stuff, but as a friend, especially since you have a good idea on how he felt. Like it's common sense. Sakura went through the hero's journey along with Naruto, and they were supposed to come back having learned more. Yes, she realized how her parents are important to her, but a big part of the movie had her understanding how Naruto felt all those years, so like it's weird to me that she'd just leave him alone like that, you know?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm about to go hug my mom and take her to dinner! X) Happy Mother's Day again! :D


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